But Crutcher’s computer records were the most damning. Fake emails to frame Ms. Marsha and Joe, not to mention the fake profiles. All young, all female. Crutcher had pretended to be a teenage girl online—and that, most of all, convinced everyone he had to be guilty. No normal man does that.
“Sick bastard,” Courtney had said.
Zach had said nothing.
Now he’s here, in Vermont, far away from all of it. Almost all of it.
His phone buzzes. Courtney.
“Hey, baby,” she says.
Zach smiles. “Hey, you.”
“How’s your room?”
“It’s amazing. Yours?” he asks.
“Fantastic. Have you met your roommate?”
“No, he’s not here yet. Hopefully, he’s cool.”
“Yeah. Mine seems like it.” He can hear her smiling. “Should we go explore?”
“Obviously. Ten minutes?” Zach says.
“Meet me outside my dorm.”
He’s still smiling, now at the thought of seeing her. They’re together, he and Courtney. Really together. It seems so obviously perfect now that he has no idea how he missed it for so long.
More than once, he’s wondered if they had Crutcher to thank. If all those horrible things hadn’t happened at Belmont, maybe he and Courtney wouldn’t be a couple.
Zach goes to the closet and changes into a clean shirt, checking himself in the mirror on the inside of the door. Next to the mirror, high on the right-hand side, a Teacher of the Year plaque is already hung up.
Crutcher’s award.
One day after school, Zach had slipped it right into his backpack and walked out. He was angry that afternoon. Angry that Courtney was still in jail, that so many people thought she was guilty, that Mrs. B was dead instead of Crutcher. He hadn’t planned to keep the plaque, but after his parents pulled him out of Belmont, he’d never had a chance to return it. Now he’s glad.
Because of Crutcher, Zach has changed his mind about his future. Forget finance, and forget becoming a lawyer.
Zach is going to become a teacher. And when he does, he’ll return to Belmont.
Someone has to save the kids. It’s for their own good.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Somewhere along the way, For Your Own Good became my most personal book. Although I didn’t attend a private school and I don’t come from a wealthy family, experiences I had as a teenager inspired a few events in the book (the non-murderous ones). That includes some of the behavior by teachers, as well as the friendship between Zach and Courtney. I won’t name the people involved here for obvious reasons, but thank you all for your contributions . . . good and bad.
Many, many people went into making this book a reality. I’m going to try very hard to include them all . . .
A thank-you is not enough for my warrior agent, Barbara Poelle; my incredible editor, Jen Monroe; as well as the tenacious publicity duo of Lauren Burnstein and Dache Rogers; the absolutely unstoppable marketing team of Jin Yu, Jessica Mangicaro, and Fareeda Bullert; and eagle-eyed copy editor Elizabeth Johnson. Without this team and everyone at Berkley, you would not be reading this book.
And across the pond, the stellar UK team, thank you for all your hard work! Joel Richardson, Grace Long, Ellie Hughes, Katie Williams, Ruth Atkins, and everyone at Michael Joseph.
A special thank-you to the talented designers who created the book covers!
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been able to attend a number of book club meetings across the country. I appreciate this so much, and it’s such a thrill to talk with all of you! Fresno Book Club, Books & Brunch, Gresham’s Book Club, Celeste Fox, and Sara Henry, thank you so much for reading, and thank you for allowing me to join your meetings.
My critique partners, as always, were invaluable when I was writing this book. A special shout-out to Marti Dumas, who is not only a critique partner but also a former teacher. She kept me on point about the finer details.
A number of authors were kind and generous enough to read an early copy of this book and their words mean so much to me. Thank you, Megan Miranda, JP Delaney, Lisa Unger, Sarah Pekkanen, B. A Paris, Chandler Baker, Gilly Macmillan, and Hannah Mary McKinnon!
To the booksellers, there is simply no way to thank you enough for your time, for including me in events, and for recommending my books. Mary O’Malley, Pamela Klinger-Horn, Barbara Peters, Maxwell Gregory, and Alex George—just to name a few. And thank you to all the incredible bookstores I’ve visited online or in person: Garden District Book Shope, Gresham Bookshop, Skylark Bookshop, Murder by the Book, An Unlikely Story, Poisoned Pen, Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Book Passage, Parnassus Books, The Novel Neighbor, Lake Forest Book Store, Books & Books, Magic City Books . . . and so many more. Without all of you, I wouldn’t have a third book.
Bookstagrammers, bloggers, and reviewers, you have a special place in my heart. Thank you for your never-ending passion for reading, your enthusiasm, and your support. You are simply the best!
I can’t forget all the wonderful librarians and libraries. My love of reading came from regular trips to the library when I was a kid—and that love is the same reason I eventually started to write. Thank you, librarians, for doing what you do.
Last but never least, my friends and family, thank you for everything.
READERS GUIDE
For Your Own Good
SAMANTHA DOWNING
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Overall, which characters did like? Which ones did you hate?
Is there anyone you rooted for? Why?
How does the book capture the feel of a wealthy, elite school? What’s unique about an elite school like Belmont that you wouldn’t find at a public school?
Teddy truly believes he is doing what’s best for the students. Did you believe that at any time? If so, what made you realize he was lying to himself?
Sonia also believes she acted in the best interests of the students. Was she? Why or why not?
Was there anyone who was “thinking of the children”?
Zach and Courtney are current students at Belmont. Did you have any sympathy for what they have to deal with, including the adults they are surrounded by? Why or why not?
Fallon has a history of exploiting the mistakes of others—the headmaster who killed himself, Teddy lying to his wife—and Fallon returns to find some way to ruin the rest of Teddy’s life. Did you think she and Zach would work together? If so, did you believe they could outsmart Teddy?
Frank plays a pivotal role in the book, though he is absent for a large part of it. What did you think of how he developed and changed throughout the book?
What shocked you the most and why? Were you surprised at the ending and by Zach’s decision to become a teacher in the future?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Samantha Downing currently lives in New Orleans, where she is furiously typing away at her next thrilling novel.
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